A long 6km climb began in La Berina, continuing through Dougneix and then turned left onto the newly laid road surface to La Lande and up into Bonnac la Cote where there are some beautiful views of the Haute Vienne countryside.

Some great places to watch along this part – especially at the junction where the riders will turn left from the D7 onto the D28 and then ride in Bonnac la Cote – a busy little town where there are places to park, eat and enjoy the atmosphere of the Tour.

A great descent out of Bonnac la Cote and then a right turn to La Faucherie and on to Cassiepierre for the ride into Les Bardys, Puy Neige and Le Palais Sur Vienne.

The views of the Monts d’Ambazac at Puy Neige are amazing and well worth a stop to see. For us it was the top of a short climb and a great place to stop for a little snack.

Then follows a big decent into Le Palais Sur Vienne. Another busy town where there are great places to watch, stay and eat – away from the crowds in Limoges.

Half way through the town the cyclists will turn left and cross over the river Vienne before heading up a steep climb which will really test the riders legs and into Panazol for the final run into Limoges. Here the teams will be organising themselves before crossing back over the Vienne River for the final climb to the finish line outside the Hotel de Ville. A wide, fast road – the sight of riders coming through here will be spectacular.

And then – the final climb to the finish, outside the Hotel de Ville in Limoges. Again, great places to watch and eat here – with the potential for a “sprinters” finish it should be a fantastic atmosphere too.

Wednesday 6th July 2016 will see a stage start in Limoges for the first of the “Mountain” stages of the 2016 Tour.

The riders will head east of Limoges and through the beautiful town of St Leonard de Noblat before starting their climbs over the volcanic mountains of the Auvergne to the next finish at Le Lioran in the Massif Central.

Get involved…

If you would like to donate to Cameron’s chosen charity you can via the Phoenix Association France website HERE.

The work that Phoenix do for abandoned, neglected animals throughout France is truly amazing – Phoenix is a registered charity and receives no state funding so to carry on their work they rely heavily on donations. Please mark any donations as “Cameron’s Cycle Challenge”. Merci!

Do you want to cycle part of Le Tour route… or perhaps simply explore the Haute Vienne countryside?

With Limoges hosting a start and finish of this year’s Tour, you can be guaranteed a fun atmosphere and lots of people. Parking will be at a premium, so why not hire a bike from the Bike Hire Direct team in Haute Vienne.

With bikes for all the family and a great range of accessories, plus “FREE” delivery to your accommodation, the train station or the Aeroport Bellegarde in Limoges, it really is hassle free.

There are so many lovely places to see in Limoges – why not cycle along the Vienne River, venture a little further out to the Monts d’Ambazac or check out the recently updated Cycling in the Haute Vienne section of our website for some great cycling routes throughout the whole Haute Vienne region – complete with PDF guides.